Queen Latifah Came Out for Gay Pride, But She Didn't 'Come Out'

Remember when Ellen DeGeneres came out in 1997 and what a big deal it was? Today, of course, Ellen is still a lesbian, has an enormously popular talk show, and no one seems to think about her sexual orientation (except a few moms boycotting JCPenney). Such as it is when celebrities "come out" these days. Who even really cares anymore? Speculation is now rampant that Queen Latifah just "came out" since she appeared at a Gay Pride rally in Long Beach, California. She told the crowd, "Y'all my peeps. I love you!" and "Thank you to all my favorite peeps who came out to support me." Is this a coming out? Is this just support for her LGBT fans? Who knows? Who cares?

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Queen Latifah, unlike some other celebrities whose sexual orientation is the source of much speculation, isn't married. Nor does she make her living as a heterosexual sex symbol. Is her sexuality anyone's concern or business?

Don't get me wrong. I do think that it's a great thing that there are celebrities like Lance Bass, Melissa Etheridge, Ricky Martin, Jillian Michaels, and Jim Parsons, who felt it was important to make more of an announcement. Maybe they did it so that young people struggling with their sexuality can feel more at ease and have someone to look up to. I think that's a great reason. But there are other celebrities, like Raven Symone or Lindsay Lohan, who just prefer to live their lives and date whom they want.

And still others, like Queen Latifah, choose to show support to the LGBT community without feeling like she has to explain exactly WHY. Someday, people will no longer feel the need to "come out" at all. Come to think of it, maybe we have reached that day.